


Happy father’s day

by Zoya113



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Dad figure hidgens, F/M, Unpacking emotional baggage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 05:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21405091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya113/pseuds/Zoya113
Summary: Emma’s complicated relationship with her father puts her in a bad mood on father’s day. Hidgens can tell something is wrong
Relationships: Emma Perkins & Professor Hidgens, Paul Matthews/ Emma Perkins
Comments: 9
Kudos: 95





	Happy father’s day

“Babe, time to get up. They’re coming over soon.” Paul stood in the doorway, buttoning up his shirt. 

Emma released a sigh. Laying rigid in bed a moment longer before kicking off the sheets. “I nearly forgot what day it was today.” 

“I thought you would,” Paul kissed her briefly as she dragged her feet over for a morning kiss. “Will you be okay?” 

She nodded. “Is it cool if I just stay in here or go out while they’re here? Y’know, I hate all that supportive parent stuff. Makes me feel funny.” She rubbed her stomach to emphasise her point. 

“I know that babe, but that’s why I invited them over here this year. I thought maybe you could get some positive parent experiences.” He put his arm on her shoulder as she searched through her dresser for a nice shirt. “You have to meet them sometime. They’ll be your in-laws one day,” he added shyly. 

Emma snorted. “I’ll meet them one day, promise! It’s just, your parents love you so much and they’re so sweet! But I can’t deal with adults and parents being like, kind to me.” She couldn’t pronounce the last part right, shifting her neck like she was trying to talk around a bone stuck in her throat. 

“Oh, Emma,” Paul snorted before smothering her in a hug. “Promise me you’ll meet them properly one day.”

“I will! Promise! But Father’s Day is a weird day for me...” she trailed off. 

Paul nodded, releasing her from his hug. “I get it. So what’ll you do today then?”

“I dunno. Not much I guess. I’ll stick around for twenty minutes to say hi and maybe I’ll go get some study in at the library before my shift.” She pulled off her pyjama shirt and slipped her arms through her uniform blouse. 

Paul turned her around and started doing her buttons up for her. “Thank you, Emma. My parents really like you. I think it’ll be nice for you to join in today. It’ll be nice!”   
He fiddled with the bow of her uniform because he had nothing else to fiddle with. “It’ll be sort of official for us, as a couple.”

Emma swatted his hands away. He had tied her bow wrong. She turned back to the mirror to fix up the knot, playing with it until it sat nicely. “What are you doing? Trying to make me look nice for them?” She evaded acknowledging his words, her hands working faster with the buttons of her uniform to cover up the racing of her heart. She hoped she hadn’t let him down.   
“Sorry, babe. It’s a bad day for me.” She left to the living room with Paul closely behind her. 

“Your dad is a bit of an asshole,” Paul admitted. “I guess this isn’t a big day for you.”

She shook her head, shovelling her textbooks into her backpack. 

There was a knock at the door and Paul hurried to answer it. He gave one last worried look to Emma but was smiling as he got the door. 

Emma lingered in the corner, shielding her eyes as Paul and his parents shared embraced and greetings. 

“Happy Father’s day, dad.” Paul looked like a child again as he wrapped his arms around his father’s shoulders. 

Emma exhaled a breath she was holding, checking the time and counting down the minutes. 

“Ah, and we’ve finally caught you at home!” His mother beamed at her. “Emma, come over and say hello!” 

Emma forced her lips into a polite smile, edging over to Paul’s parents but keeping a distance to show them she didn’t want any hugs. “Hi, Mrs Matthews,” she dipped her head politely. “Happy Father’s day Mr. Matthews. Would either of you like some coffee before I head out?” 

“Oh you don’t have to do that, Emma! Come and sit down with us before you leave,” his mother waved her over to the table. 

“No it’s not a problem! I’m a barista, I can do it in like, three minutes. You all sit down I’ll bring you something to drink.” 

She had turned to walk off when Paul put a hand around her shoulder, blocking her from walking any further. “You know our rule, Em. You don’t make coffee off the clock. If they want coffee I’ll make it for them,” he held her gently but his gaze locked into hers, pleading with her to sit down for just a moment. 

“Oh no we don’t want any coffee, we’re going out for lunch later and we don’t want to bother you. Have a seat!” 

And so Emma sat down, keeping her books on her lap to remind everyone she couldn’t stay long. 

“So where are you rushing off to today, Emma? You’re a very busy young lady,” Paul’s father smiled affectionately at her and it made her cringe. 

“I’ve got a lot on today. I figured I better start early.” 

“Do you have your own Father’s Day plans?” His mother asked.

“...yes?” Emma winced, looking over their expressions to see if she sold her lie. 

“Oh lovely! Well we won’t keep you, dear. You have a lovely day.” 

Emma nodded, getting out of her chair as fast as she could. “Thank you, lovely to see you again, maybe next time!” She threw her bag onto her back and exited the living room, hovering in the hallway as she slipped her flats on. 

“She’s always running off like that, she’s very mysterious!” His father laughed. “How does your relationship work? Do you have to book in time together?” He joked.

“She’s just busy,” traces of concern clung to Paul’s words. “She works full time and she’s in college.”

“Well I hope we meet her properly one day.” 

“You will!”

Emma shut the door quietly so she didn’t interrupt them. 

The streets were always empty on days like this. Everyone was with their family if they had one, and the only people out on the streets were people like her.   
That didn’t get her down though, it was actually quite brilliant. It meant when she finally got to the library it was completely empty. 

She grinned, tossing her bookbag down and spreading herself out on the best couch in the place. “Now I’m definitely getting some good study done.”   
She unpacked her bag, laying her textbook and her work book down and placing her laptop above them, procrastinating actually studying. 

The next thing in her bag should’ve been her pencil case but instead she pulled out her phone. 

There was a small notification she had set a while ago that had appeared on her screen. 

‘Father’s day Paul’s parents’ 

Well she set that alarm a bit late. 

She unlocked her phone, deciding to see if Paul had text her since she left and for the strangest reason she found herself looking at her dad’s contact instead. 

It wasn’t far down on her list considering she only ever text Hidgens and Paul and Melissa, with the occasional texts from the Beanies staff group chat. 

His name sat right at the bottom of her screen where her finger hovered. The last message she sent was almost two years ago now. 

She huffed, shutting off her phone and dropping it back into her book bag. 

She wasn’t going to let that man guilt trip her even after she moved out. She didn’t owe him a father’s day day message, he was a shitty father after all. 

And yet, with her hands free of her phone her fingers were starting to fiddle with each other. 

If she didn’t contact him today of all days was she perpetuating the decline of their relationship? Was she the one who was at blame now? 

She took out her phone with careful hands, staring at their last messages. 

They were passive aggressive and demeaning really. 

‘Why r u late? Where r u?’ 

‘Sorry packing my bag out in a second’ 

‘Hurry up im not waiting if u aren’t here in five minutes I’m leaving and u have to walk’ 

She put her phone back into her lap. That invited back a fistful of emotions and memories that punched her right in the stomach. 

You know, it was very possible he had changed phone numbers by now and she didn’t want to send anything too odd to a stranger. 

She shook her head. No bad ideas, Paul would give her a strong talking to if he heard she text her father because it would only hurt her. 

Maybe she’d compromise. She’s just send   
‘Happy father’s day’ and that would be it. 

She could type in ‘happy’ well enough but she couldn’t will her fingers into typing ‘father’ when every part of her refused to allow him that title. 

“God, Emma. Don’t be a coward.” She forced herself into it and it was like her whole body retaliated. 

She began grinding her teeth and her hands grew stiff. Her stomach churned and her heart raced. But the word was down, and the message was finished. 

But she couldn’t send it without context. ‘Sorry it’s been a while. Hope you have a good day.’ 

She stared at the send button for a long time. She had gotten herself into this and now she had to. If she sent it now she wouldn’t be able to study because she would worry about a response, but if she sent it after her study she wouldn’t be able to pay attention because was he expecting something from her? Was he waiting? She was his only child at this point. 

She had to send it now. She just wouldn’t tell Paul and she would just put her phone on silent. That way there wouldn’t be any consequences. 

The library doors opened. A welcome distraction at first. 

“Oh, hello Emma dear!” Hidgens entered with a textbook in his hands. “I was just returning this, getting some study in?”

She nodded, her cheeks flushing. She fumbled with her phone to turn it off.

“Do you need a hand at all? Any questions?” He placed the textbook down on the return bench and strode over to sir besides her, glancing down at the phone clenched tight in her hand. 

She shoved her phone into her pants pocket and shook her head. It wasn’t until someone else had to speak to her that she tuned into how her body was acting up. “No, I’ve barely started. I’m just getting out of the house.”

“Is everything okay with Paul?” He asked, genuinely concerned. 

Emma nodded. “Oh, he’s just with his parents today. It’s, y’know.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“It’s Father’s day, Hidgens,” she elbowed him.

“Oh!” He gaped. “I didn’t even know.” 

“I forgot too.” She sunk back into the couch. She didn’t mind if he picked up on her mood so she was in. 

He shuffled over, one arm on the back of the couch. “Dear, not a good day?” 

”Nah,” she sighed. “I wasted a lot of my time here. You know, I’ve got a shift soon so I better start walking.” 

“I’m finished here for the day dear. I’ll drive you.” 

Emma smiled weakly, nudging his shoulder with her head before packing up her books back into her bag. 

“Um, thanks professor.” She swung it over her shoulder as she stood up. “That makes things a lot easier for me right now,” she added, leading into a hug.

“Thank you dear,” he chuckled, holding her in the hug for a second longer. When he stepped back he yanked her phone out of her back pocket and she wasn’t sure what her reaction should be. 

“That’s my phone,” she held out her hand, half expecting him to give it back. But he raised it above his head instead and she realised he wasn’t playing. 

“Were you going to message that man?” 

Emma’s face reddened and she got up on the tips of her toes to try and snatch it back. Obviously, she couldn’t even reach his wrists. “I wasn’t! Shut up!” She jumped up, her fingers skimming the bottom of her phone. 

“You know what’ll happen if you talk to him,” he scolded. He opened her phone, reading the message she was preparing to send with disapproval.   
“You were going to apologise for not contacting him?” 

“Well, I couldn’t just leave it at happy father’s day!”

“You shouldn’t say anything at all! Dear! You’ve been away from that man so long you forget what he was like!” He stomped his foot. “You aren’t sending this message. You aren’t allowed to talk to that bad, bad man.”

“But if I don’t say anything he’ll just hate me forever!” Emma tried to argue. “I’ve thought about it! Now’s the perfect time to message him and fix things because it’s father’s day and he’s probably expecting something from me!”

He shook his head, deleting the message and confiscating her phone to the inner pocket of his jacket. “You don’t have to try and fix things, he was the one in the wrong!” 

“But Hidgens!” She whined. “I’m his only child,” she held her hand to her heart. 

Hidgens put a guiding arm on her shoulder to walk her out to the car. “Do you know what that man is probably up to today, dear? He’s probably with his grandson. He probably hasn’t even thought of you. He’s an awful man Emma.”

“I know, but...” she mumbled as she slid into the passenger seat. 

“No, I don’t want ‘but’s. Don’t reward bad behaviour. He’s not your father anymore.”  
He leant across the console of the car, yanking at her seatbelt and clicking it into its buckle, a simultaneously scolding gesture as it was an implication of the position he had claimed in her life.   
“If he never tried to settle things with you after everything that happened you shouldn’t take that responsibility.” He jammed his keys into the ignition, pulling out of his parking spot in one smooth reversing motion. “Do you hear me?” He even sounded mad. 

“I hear you, I hear you. I can walk if you’re busy you know.”

“I’m not busy Emma. I’m raising my voice because I’m mad you think he deserves your attention again!”

Emma rested her head down on the dashboard on her arms. “Hidgens, I’ll just feel guilty if I don’t say anything.”

“Are we going to have to open old wounds to remind you why you don’t get along? Do you remember how many times you cried? He had a lock on your bedroom door, dear. Oh, and don’t get me started on the fact that he hurt you!”

“He only hit me like, twice.” 

“But he still hurt you, Emma!” He reminded her very firmly.

She shied back from the dashboard, taking to leaning her head against the glass and staring out the window. She knew trying to message him would only bring her trouble.   
“But you aren’t seeing it like I am. He was a good dad to Jane, just not to me.”

“I know that.”

“So that means I was the bad kid does it not?” That was a fact for Emma. She was the new variable in that situation. 

“No it means nothing! It means you had a bad father for playing favourited with his children,” he exclaimed.   
He huffed and grumbled and complained about how his bones hurt until they arrived in the parking lot, too consumed by anger to do anything else. 

“Go on. Get out. I’m going to pick you up from work tonight, alright? We aren’t finished with this talk.” 

She undid her seatbelt and got out of the car, leaning over to talk to him. “Thanks for driving me, Hidgens.” Emma held out her hand, “can I get my phone back now?” 

He shook his head. “No. I’m keeping it until tomorrow. It’s for your own good.”

“What?” Emma leant further into the car, lifting a foot up from the ground to place it on the passenger seat. “Why not? I need it.”

“I’m not going to let you make a stupid accident like messaging that man. You can have it back once father’s day is over.” 

Emma’s jaw hung slack. She couldn’t believe she was an adult having her phone taken off her like some sort of child. 

“I love you too much to let you hurt yourself like that,” he explained. His eyes were hurt and worried and they looked up at her in hopes she would understand, and she did.

She gave a melancholic chuckle. “Alright, Hidgens.” She withdrew from his car, getting ready to shut the door. “And one more thing.”

“Yes, dear?”

“Happy father’s day, dad.”


End file.
